The folks at Castle Retail Group, who brought you Cash Saver and the new High Point Grocery, unveil their new Downtown grocery store — South Point Grocery — on Thursday.
Tag: Downtown
Something’s cooking over at the Hyatt Centric. The Beale Street hotel recently announced that a new executive chef will be taking the helm at its signature restaurant, CIMAS. Chef Adam Arencibia will assume leadership duties over the Hyatt Centric’s dining program and help lead the restaurant in a new direction.
CIMAS opened its doors alongside the hotel last year and boasted a large menu featuring a synthesis of Southern staples alongside South and Central American influences. And alongside its accompanying rooftop bar, Beck & Call, it has become a hotspot for hungry Memphians and tourists alike. But for now, the change in leadership won’t affect the current menu too much, which means favorites like the bluff mushroom quesadilla, breakfast tacos, and chilaquiles verdes are here to stay.
“The framework on the current menus was curated by chefs that do great work in their craft, so not much work needs to be done to improve it, if any,” says Arencibia. “We want to continue to focus on freshness of items, working with local growers, farmers and craftsmen to produce the highest quality we can offer to our current and future guests. Though, with the change of season comes some menu changes, and we’re excited to work on recipes that highlight spring and summer.”
Arencibia has been enthused by cooking since childhood, watching his mom dash around the kitchen and whip up new meals almost every day. But his early passion for the kitchen had to compete with his fascination for Top Gun. “I could recite it verbatim and wanted to become a pilot in some capacity,” he laughs, “but quickly figured out that neither school nor math were for me!”
Instead, the rush of the kitchen and a fast-paced environment provided plenty of thrills. The Las Vegas native worked his way up to some of the biggest hotels in the city, working alongside top professionals like three-star Michelin chef Jöel Robuchon. “I learned a great deal about discipline and dedication for the ingredients we used and what the farmers or ranchers did to get them to us,” he says. “The attention to detail, processes and technique they taught me still run in my veins today. I also worked with Chef Michael Mina, where I learned a new vision of the same dedication to ingredients, but done in a new way of presentation and production.
“Mina’s culinary team is composed of incredibly talented people that are always raising the bar as to what’s next and what can be done better. I’ve always loved that way of cooking, even if something is working, I’m always thinking of how to make it better!”
For Arencibia, who moved to Memphis in 2021 as an executive chef partner at the Capital Grille, the decision to join Hyatt was an easy one. The move provided plenty of opportunity for growth, and he felt it was the best environment where he would have freedom to improve his craft. And a new direction at CIMAS means he’ll soon have the chance to do so. “Exciting things are coming,” he says. “My lips are sealed for now, but I know we’re eager to let Memphians know about the changes to come.”
More room to party! The TriStar Space, located in The Emerge Building at 516 Tennessee Street, is slated to open in the circa 1910 building in September.
The 7,000-square-foot venue, which includes a rooftop patio that overlooks the Mississippi River, can be used for weddings, private dinners, corporate events, birthday parties, and other functions. The space can accommodate 125 seated guests and 200 standing.
The interior features exposed wood ceilings, original brick walls, and stained columns.
The Emerge Building is the former home of Emerge Memphis, a nonprofit economic development initiative that provides strategic support to startup companies and entrepreneurs in the Mid-South.
Micah Lacher, owner of Anchor Investments, the company that bought the property in 2019, says, “We are very excited to see our plan come together over the past 2.5 years since buying the property. We have been able to lease many of the available spaces in the building and bring in even more entrepreneurs and companies that believe in our vision for the property. The energy of the tenants and community is what most excites me about where we are and where we are headed. We look forward to making another major announcement about a great retail tenant for the 1st floor in the weeks to come.
“We have done some events on the rooftop since buying the building, but it has never been a strategic focus for us until this point. Our rooftop has one of the best views in South Main. After seeing the interest in the rooftop, we decided to turn the third floor of the building into the TriStar Space. The historic walls and floors have amazing natural beauty and character, and we knew we needed to bring them back to life. Our space will offer one of the best atmospheres in Downtown Memphis for people to celebrate monumental days in their lives. We are very excited to host these days.”
And, Lacher says, “As a Memphis native, it has been a lot of fun to redevelop The Emerge Building and breathe more life into it. The Memphis community has welcomed us with open arms and it makes me very proud to be a Memphis native. We look forward to doing more projects in my hometown.”
A synthesis of old and new have come together for something great. Old Dominick Distillery and New Wing Order will have everyone getting sauced with their newest collaboration. Well, in a manner of speaking, at least.
The two companies have been working in tandem for months on a new Maple Bourbon sauce that combines the flavors of both franchises. It’s now a permanent fixture on the New Wing Order menu, but bottled versions of the new sauce can be bought from local vendors starting next week.
The partnership came about from the food truck’s weekly appearances at Yorkshire Liquors. “They challenged us to make a bourbon-infused sauce,” says New Wing Order co-founder Cole Forrest. “We made that into a monthly special and it really took off. And after a few months, the guys at Old Dominick reached out and asked if we’d be interested in using a local product.”
After a few meetings, they decided to create a sauce based around the distillery’s Huling Station Straight Bourbon. Forrest says it’s reminiscent of a barbecue sauce, but with a hint of chipotle. The recipe also calls for real maple syrup. Like the rest of their sauces, everything is made from scratch.
“You also definitely do pick up on that Huling Station bourbon,” he says. “But it’s subtle. “You’ll know it’s there, but it won’t hit you over the head. You’ll get a nice little kick from it, but it’s not like you’re taking a shot,” he laughs. “We plan to sell it online too, alongside our award-winning Memphis Buffalo Sauce.”
Mud Island is up for a raft of updates before the summer season begins, including the new “Soul” sign we told you about yesterday.
The new sign and the changes are planned by the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP). In our story yesterday, we said the sign was requested by the city of Memphis parks department, which is technically true, however, the MRPP worked through the department on the application.
For the sign, MRPP explained that the slogan — “we have no time for things with no soul” — is to “welcome visitors this summer and remind us all that here in Memphis — We Have Soul.” The color of the flags surrounding the installation “match the brand (and park furniture) of Mud Island Park.”
“The Partnership is always looking for opportunities to add features and attract new activity to the riverfront,” said MRPP president and CEO Carol Coletta. “Following the runaway success of the ‘MEMPHIS’ sign, this temporary placemaking activation adds visual interest to the island from Downtown and gives Memphians and visitors a new reason to visit the island.
“It’s going to be a very popular photo spot and, together with a whole package of upgrades, will generate new interest and foot traffic on Mud Island Park this summer.”
The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board is slated to review the new sign during its meeting today at 4 p.m.
But the new sign is just one upgrade headed for Mud Island this year. Those include:
• Replacement and renewal of the slate map of Memphis on the Riverwalk.
• Removal of inoperable flagpoles at the south tip of the island and replaced with a new seating area and the best views to the forthcoming construction on Tom Lee Park.
• Repainting of the Gulf Grill and installation of a significant mural by Qwynto.
• Repainting of entrance murals, park fixtures and furnishings.
• New colored lighting on trees in the grove. “Thirty-six LED light fixtures will add a soft glow to the trees in the grove and provide a beautiful backdrop for the Memphis skyline.”
• Replacement of all turf on the south lawn with new, laser-leveled sod that will be more resilient to traffic.
“So many Memphians hold fond memories of childhood visits to Mud Island Park,” said Tyree Daniels, MRPP board chair. “The island is still a unique place with the unbeatable feeling of being ‘on’ the Mississippi River. These new features and upgrades give us all a new opportunity to make memories this summer.”
Mud Island Park is open every day, year round. The Mississippi River Museum is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Also in that time frame, water fills the Riverwalk and concessions are available.
To celebrate the 2021-season opening, museum entrance and kayak rentals will be free on Memorial Day weekend.
A new, Instagram-ready art installation could come to Mud Island soon.
Last month, the city of Memphis parks department asked the Downtown Memphis Commission for permission to build the temporary installation. The project would bring a huge black-and-yellow, billboard-like art installation that reads: “We have no time for things with no soul.”
The installation would be 46 feet high and 40 feet wide. Before the billboard would be a trail of 54 flags and three short platforms for seating. The sign would face east, easily visible from Riverside Drive. It would be erected close to the new “Memphis” sign recently placed on Mud Island.
The installation would be erected before the Memorial Day opening of Mud Island and would remain until the end of November, according to the city’s application.
Here’s a look at some images from the application:
Fresh foods will be the focal point of a new grocery store planned for Downtown Memphis.
Castle Retail Group, parent company of Cash Saver and High Point Grocery stores, will bring a new store to South Main at 136 Webster sometime this year. The store, to be called South Point Grocery, is sandwiched between Central Station on the west and the U.S. Postal Service facility on the east.
Tom Archer, owner and president of Archer Custom Builders, bought the building in 2017 with visions to bring a grocery store to Downtown Memphis. The store will be small — with a sales floor of about 8,000 square feet — compared to other stores. Its size and the neighborhood pushed the focus on fresh foods, said Rick James, owner and CEO of Castle Retail Group.
“We know in a space of this size, we’re not going to have 48-roll toilet paper; it just won’t work,” James said. “But we can handle high-end, fresh produce, deli, bakery, and a butcher shop. Quality and freshness would be two of the key words.”
We can handle high-end, fresh produce, deli, bakery, and a butcher shop. Quality and freshness would be two of the key words.
Rick James, owner and CEO Castle Retail Group
Another grocery store has been on the Downtown to-do list for more than a decade, as some have said Miss Cordelia’s feels far away and disconnected from Downtown’s Central Business District. For years, Downtowners have have told surveyors that another grocery store is a missing gap for the neighborhood. James said many now drive five miles to Midtown stores, like Cash Saver or Kroger, to stores in West Memphis, Arkansas, or to big-box stores like Costco on Germantown Parkway.
James and Archer said South Point Grocery makes sense now with Downtown’s new population density. Nearly 26,000 people lived Downtown last year, according to the latest numbers from the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC), up slightly from the nearly 25,000 people who lived there in 2010. DMC data says nearly 88,000 occupy Downtown during the day.
“We’ve been down here all these years and South Main has been kind of on the edge of busting wide open,” said Archer, whose company is headquartered on South Main. “We wanted to get ahead of that but it beat us. It’s been crazy down here the last couple of years. So, this is perfect timing.”
South Point Grocery was, in part, inspired by Castle’s success at High Point Grocery. James said before buying the beloved community grocery store, his company had not really done a small-format store. Without it, “we wouldn’t have had the confidence that we can” run a smaller store Downtown. Archer said he’d been looking for a partner for his Downtown grocery building, saw James talking about High Point Grocery on the news, and walked away impressed when he went to see it for himself.
The building features a parking deck on the east side with plenty of public parking available on Webster. A covered patio with ceiling fans front the street, which James said will be used for dining and, perhaps, live music.
Toby Sells
Karen Brownlee and Stephen Guenther
Earnestine & Hazel’s is up for sale, according to its current owner.
Caitlin Chittom said in a Facebook post Monday that the decision was not because of finances nor COVID-19. Read the post here:
E+H Friends and Family,
I’ve made the difficult decision to sell Earnestine and Hazel’s. Selling Earnestine’s is not a…
Posted by Earnestine & Hazel's on Monday, November 23, 2020
Earnestine & Hazel’s Up For Sale
An early-morning network fire left swaths of Downtown Memphis dark Thursday morning, including AutoZone headquarters, the FedEx Forum, and the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM).
Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) said crews were working to restore power those customers, which included MLGW headquarters. An underground network fire began early Thursday morning at Second and Gayoso.
To fix it, MLGW shut down the substation that serves many Downtown businesses and residences.
For this, the NCRM said it would open today at 11 a.m., instead of its regular 9 a.m. open.
Power was expected to return to all affected customers by noon. To report an outage, call MLGW at (901) 544-6500.
Photo courtesy STIX Restaurant
The entrance to STIX Restaurant on Second St.
To find some of the newest pan-asian food Downtown, just follow the dragon. STIX Restaurant opened the doors of its second Memphis location earlier today at the former home of Dan McGuinness Irish Pub.
Patrons can enter the front doors on N. 2nd Street, grab a menu, and follow the long dragon mural down the hallway to the register. Meanwhile, ServiceMaster employees can enter STIX through a side door without leaving the office.
The interior underwent a complete redesign, with owner Wayne Yeh overseeing the installation of lounge seating, traditional tables, and a floor-to-ceiling moss wall emblazoned with the STIX logo.
“Our Downtown location is situated in a beautiful, newly renovated space that I know locals and tourists alike are going to enjoy visiting,” says Yeh. “Whether you’re looking for a unique meal like a sushi burrito or you want to take a more traditional route and go with a cup of Egg Drop Soup with a sushi roll, we have something delicious to offer.”
Unlike the Collierville location, the 2,600-square-foot space offers counter service only. The menu contains traditional items like hibachi, sushi, and crispy spring rolls, but Yeh also plans for STIX to offer daily specials like steamed Asian buns, or Memphis-centric sushi burritos (take your pick between the Bluff City Burrito or Riverside Roll). The restaurant also serves select local and domestic beer. For now, STIX will only serve a limited menu for takeout. Orders can be placed ahead of time online, or at a digital kiosk inside the restaurant.
STIX Restaurant
150 Peabody Pl.
12-8p.m., Monday-Saturday.